A video narrating the life of the last khan of the Kazakh Khanate, in which the Kyrgyz are portrayed as treacherous and collaborationists, has ruffled some feathers in the Kyrgyz government. Even the Kyrgyz president himself took to social media to condemn the video, while the story has raised some eyebrows in neighbouring Kazakhstan.
On May 14, Kyrgyzstan’s president posted an unusual long post of more than 2,700 words on Facebook criticising a video posted in YouTube describing the life of Kenesary Khan. In it, the last Kazakh Khan, who led a rebellion against Tsarist Russia and died at the hand of the Kyrgyz, is said to have been betrayed by the Kyrgyz, who had an agreement with the Russians. The Kyrgyz president did not like the role given in the video to the Kyrgyz:
“A force has appeared that intentionally tries to pit two nations [Kyrgyz and Kazakh], cause mutual hostility. Such spiteful people are on both sides. They, as they can, distort historical facts, genealogies and traditions of, as well as in this video, making unthinkable conclusions like the fact that the Kyrgyz allegedly acted together with external forces against the Kazakh people. At the same time, they insult the whole people and, as if adding fuel to the fire, tirelessly raise this topic in a favourable vein, all this leads to serious reflection” Sadyr Japarov wrote.
The president also denied the involvement of Russian troops in the death of Kenesary and added that his head was send to the Russians as they did not believe he had been killed.
A controversial video
The video that has led to Japarov’s intervention was published on May 12 under the title The secret of KENESARY khan is revealed! The very same video from POLITPROGNOZ!. It consists only of one image (a book and a Kyrgyz holding Kenesary’s skull) and a voice that narrates in Russian for almost two hours the life of the khan. Or rather a much idealised, and in many parts fictitious, account of it.
The video can be described as a Kazakh nationalist fantasy that portrays Kenesary Khan as a perfect ruler. It is full of dubious statements. Some events narrated, such as Kenesary’s conquest of the city of Turkistan, never took place. While others, such as the Khan’s contacts with the Ottomans, are yet to be proven.
What made Japarov enter the fray was the video’s description of the Kyrgyz. According to the narrator, Kenesary Khan was treacherously lured into their domains by the Kyrgyz in agreement with the Russians. The Kazakh marched there with barely a few dozen supporters and was ambushed by the Kyrgyz and, it seems, the Russians. The former then sent to the latter the severed head of the khan after a dramatic struggle that would be worth of a Hollywood epic.
Kenesary Khan in today’s Kyrgyzstan
The fate of the last Kazakh khan is still a controversial topic in Kyrgyzstan. According to the Kyrgyz version of events, Kenesary raided the Kyrgyz multiple times and demanded the submission of their ruler, Ormon Khan. When Ormon refused, Kenesary marched with a large army but was defeated by the Kyrgyz at the battle of Maitobe in 1847. Kenesary was captured and, as expected, executed. Since he was also an enemy of the Russians, Ormon decided to send his severed head to them.
At that time, the Russian Empire was in the process of conquering and colonising modern-day Kazakhstan. Kenesary lead a decade-long rebellion against them, and also fought the Khanate of Kokand (occupying then much of central and southern Kazakshtan) and the Kyrgyz Khanate. Besides being responsible for the Kazakh’s death, the other question that creates friction between Kyrgyz and Kazakhs up to this day is whether the Kyrgyz acted in collusion with Russians or if they simply acted in self-defence.
A few months before the video was posted, Kyrgyz singer Kairat Primberdiev got in trouble with his country’s authorities after an interview with a Kazakh media outlet. In it, Primberdiev apologised for the killing of Kenesary Khan, stating that Ormon Khan was “forced” to execute him as the Russians had the upper hand.
The artist’s words were met with a rebuff by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Kyrgyzstan and stirred up a storm on social media. In the end, he was fined around $1,200 by a court in the capital Bishkek for making “statements aimed at inciting ethnic hatred.”
President Japarov’s role in the topic with such a long statement is somewhat surprising. The video itself had only a few thousand views (note: at the time of writing this article the view count was 62,039). Instead of ignoring it, he contributed to the video’s distribution and even included a link to it at the bottom of his post. It would seem that at the same time as he criticised it, he also benefitted from the controversy. Japarov is not strange to nationalist remarks.
A day later, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan spoke on the phone. There is no reference to the video in the official statements, but it cannot be ruled out it was not discussed.
The controversy caused by an obscure video and the role played by Kyrgyzstan’s president highlights the importance history has in modern Central Asia. Events that happened almost two centuries ago can still play a role in the relations between two countries and peoples. After being shunned and politicised during the Soviet period, it is important for regional and national histories to be reassessed away from ideologies and nationalism.
Who was Kenesary Khan?
Kenesary Khan (1802–1847) was the last khan of the Kazakh Khanate and a key figure in the 19th century resistance against Russian imperial expansion. A grandson of the respected Abylai Khan, Kenesary came from the Tore lineage, descendants of Genghis Khan. In the 1830s and 1840s, he led a widespread uprising to defend Kazakh autonomy as Russia extended its military and administrative control over the steppe. His movement aimed to unite the three Kazakh zhuzes (tribal confederations), restore the khanate’s independence, and resist heavy taxation and fort-building imposed by Russian authorities.
In 1841, Kenesary was elected Khan by his supporters and implemented reforms to strengthen governance, centralize power, and build a disciplined army. He also fought the Kokand Khanate in the south to liberate Kazakh lands under their control. However, his campaign faced increasing pressure from both Russian forces and local rivals. He also reached out to he Kyrgyz in search of an alliance. When the proposal was rejected, he marched with 20,000 men to subdue them. However, he was defeated by Ormon Khan and was executed. His head was then sent to the Russians.
Kenesary Khan’s skull has its own story. After arriving in Omsk, the remains apparently ended up in Saint Petersburg for some years before reaching their final destination in Moscow’s Ethnography Museum. For some years now, Kazakhstan has been repeatedly asking the Russian authorities to return the skull. But so far, the Russians have not handed over the head of the last Kazakh Khan.
Kenesary Khan has become one of modern Kazakhstan’s national heroes. His statue stands proud in Astana, while several streets are named after him. His military prowess also has a space in the country, with the Deputy Minister of Defense saying earlier this year that the ministry is studying his tactics. However, his struggle against the Russians makes him an uncomfortable hero for the Kazakh authorities it their relations with Moscow.